Superstitions Affect How And When We Send Cash

Monday, 2 March 2015

WANT TO be more lucky with money? Londoners do. Cash senders in the city are the most superstitious in all of the UK* and are inspired by Chinese folklore and tradition to bring them financial fortune – with the busiest day to send money revealed as 3rd March.

WesternUnion.com has analysed 255 million transactions sent in a 12 month period and found 3rd March to be the most popular day of the year to send money. Alone on that day nearly 40% of the transactions from the UK to China came from London.

In Chinese culture the number three has special significance as a harbinger of good luck. This number is considered to be one of the luckiest as a man’s life is defined by three important stages (birth, marriage and death) and Londoners are clearly influenced by it.

Ganesh Krishnamoorthi, VP e-CommerceEurope at WU.com, said: “Our analysts saw a surge of sending on 3rd March with more than 90,000 GBP sent last year. When we dug into this a little more we also saw that six of the top 10 busiest days for sending also fell into the third month of the year, showing a clear belief in Chinese lucky numbers when it comes to sending money to loved ones.”

The top superstitious cities in the UK according to WesternUnion.com are:

1.London

2.Manchester

3.Wakefield

4.Norwich

5.Liverpool

And because we all want to be a little luckier with money, WesternUnion.com has devised a list of tips based on Chinese culture and traditions around numbers:

1.Celebrate a wedding or a birth with money, but ensure it’s sent to relatives on the third day of the month to reflect the three key important stages in life; birth, marriage and death

2. ‘Good things come in pairs’ so send transactions in even numbers for good luck

3.Zero makes every number even when added to the end so round up your cash for extra luck

4.Send money in multiples of five to reflect the five elements: water, fire, metal, wood and earth

5.Transfer money to a loved one at 13:14 on the dot for extra luck in your relationship. This combination of numbers showers favour on those that use them, so don’t miss out!

Customers in the UK and China will, for the first time, be able to send remittances to loved ones through the Western Union® Money TransferSM service at the touch of a few buttons via the new mobile app or Western Union website.